Mold, radon levels high in school

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Friday, May 03, 2002 - 7:26:52 AM MST

Mold, radon levels high in school

School's mold, radon levels worry parents

By ANDREW BROPHY abrophy@...

FAIRFIELD - Tomlinson Middle School parents - upset about mold and high

radon levels in the town's oldest public school building - will meet with

officials next Tuesday to get answers about the school's health problems and

its upcoming renovation.

The Tomlinson PTA meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in the school's library.

" Some of us, myself included, have had children who have been sick all year,

Tomlinson parent Ellen said, referring to the school's mold problem.

" My child has had sinus infections all year, and he's not an allergic kid.

He's been on antibiotics all year.

said she knows of at least six other Tomlinson children who have

persistent, unexplained illnesses. So far, two Tomlinson staffers have filed

workers' compensation claims against the town, saying they suffered

illnesses in the school due to mold exposure. The mold problem was confirmed

by independent testing.

A town Health Department report on students complaining of respiratory

symptoms who visited middle school nurses between Aug. 29, 2001, and Feb. 22

showed 1.6 visits per student at Tomlinson, compared to 0.6 at Ludlowe

and 1.4 at Fairfield Woods.

Also, Tomlinson Principal Brennan sent a letter to parents Wednesday

afternoon stating that " a single initial radon test in our band room

indicated a level of radon that exceeds the [federal] Environmental

Protection Agency's recommended action level.

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that is odorless and cannot be

seen.

The band room, sampled over three days in April, had a radon level of 21.3

picocuries per liter of air. The average indoor radon concentration is 1.3;

the EPA's recommended " action guideline is 4, according to the radon report

by First Alert/Alpha Energy Laboratories.

In his letter, Brennan said the state and Fairfield health departments have

recommended confirmation testing for radon and " stress there is no need to

move students and staff from the band room based on the standards that are

followed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The band room is to be further tested this weekend.

" We're not being under-reactive, Brennan said Wednesday afternoon. " We're

very seriously dealing with any issue here, and we're not being

underreactive, but at the same time, we don't want to be overreactive and

create stress.

Tomlinson, built in 1917, is scheduled for exterior repairs this summer and

a possible $18 million full-scale renovation over the next several years.

Hoffman Architects of North Haven, a firm specializing in building

exteriors, was hired to oversee exterior work.

The recently formed Tomlinson Building Committee plans to hire an architect

to oversee interior work within 60 days, said Craig Van Steenbergen, the

committee chairman.

Brophy, who covers Fairfield, can be reached at 330-6255.